The European Union (EU) faces the risk not to meet the 2010 target in implementing the Biodiversity Action Plan. Though the legal background for the implementation is set, the implementation itself is quite slow. In this respect, DG Environment is planning an EU wide communication campaign on biodiversity and nature to increase the awareness and involvement of EU-citizens. This scoping study was commissioned as means of preparation.

There is an ongoing debate about the impacts of nature conservation policy on the economy. Ecologic has been commissioned by the European Environmental Agency (EEA) to assess whether a measurement of these effects on an European level is feasible. Various methodologies are evaluated in order to determine a best practice methodology for a larger scope study.

<p>&#13; In the run up to the NATO Summit in Strasbourg-Kehl in April 2009, NATO Public Diplomacy Division and Carnegie Europe launched a discussion on "The Next Generation of Security Threats" and the reprogramming of NATO. They invited R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute to provide keynote commentary on the question: "Should Climate Change be a Priority?" at the inaugural event of a new series.</p>&#13;

Ecologic is part of the European Environment Agency's European Topic Center (ETC) on Water. The ETC is supporting the Agency in all water related issues such as databases, indicators and policy recommendations for the period 2007 to 2010. Within the team of 11 partners, Ecologic is responsible for climate, assessments, economics and WISE-related tasks.

<p> Chaired by Madeleine Albright, the Aspen Atlantic Group (AAG) is an initiative of former serving North American and European foreign ministers, from across the political spectrum.&nbsp; The AAG dedicated ist 8th Meeting on 6 to 9 March 2008 in Copenhagen, Denmark, to the Political Implications of Climate Change, and invited R. Andreas Kraemer to speak on European and American Approaches to Climate Change: Prospects for a Common Transatlantic Agenda. Deliberations at the meeting covered a range of topics, including U.S. movement to address climate change, the integration of emerging countries, the national security implications of a climate shift, the prospects of a global deal during the Copenhagen 2009 summit, and European and American approaches for dealing with this issue.</p>

In March 2006, the German government cabinet adopted the "Modernisation Report for the German Water Sector". The report does not yet contain a specific modernisation strategy, but formed the basis for discussions at the 7th Congress of Municipal Utilities of the German Association of Municipal Utilities on 29 November 2006. R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic moderated the debate about the question, how the traditional form of urban utility management can remain a successful model for the provision of good conditions for environmental, social and economic development in towns and cities.

The seminar on "Energy and Climate Policy for the Future" served to identify the regulatory framework and conditions of energy supply and energy policy that the industry requires, and to discuss the interaction between energy policy and climate protection. R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute was invited to set the tone for the seminar with an opening dinner lecture, and to add reflections on energy supply security and the security policy implications of energy policy in the European neighbour states.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), a symposium was held in Berlin on 6 June 2006. Camilla Bausch chaired the Forum on "European and International Environmental Policy".

The Directorate-General Trade of the European Commission held its "Trade Sustainability Impact Assessment Stocktaking Conference: Implementing Sustainable Trade" in Brussels on 21-22 March 2006. R. Andreas Kraemer chaired the key first session looking at the extent to which Trade Sustainability Impact Assessments (SIAs) have changed the way the European Union makes trade policy.

The ongoing world trade negotiations are expected to have significant impact on sustainable development and the production and consumption patterns world-wide. After the Meeting of Trade Ministers in Hong Kong at the end of 2005, Chatham House convened a conference on 6 and 7 February 2006 to look at the WTO as well as the Sustainable Development Agenda and its prospects after Hong Kong. R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic chaired a key session on NAMA, IPRs, and Services.

After the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast of the United States and the City of New Orleans, a number of questions should be asked. Some of them have an important environmental policy dimension that might well reach beyond the immediate impact of the actual natural catastrophe and should cause a rethinking of established policies. Sascha Müller-Kraenner discusses the link between climate change and extreme weather events, rising oil prices, the role of government and whether New Orleans should be rebuilt.

The German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE), together with GTZ, convened a German National Conference on Sustainability in the Context of BRICS+G. R. Andreas Kraemer moderated the event on 9 June 2005. The national conference was held in preparation of an international conference including Brazil, Russia, India, and China in Berlin on 4 and 5 September 2005.

As part of the Annual Foreign Policy Conference 2005 of the Heinrich Boell Foundation on European Neighbourhood Policy, R. Andreas Kraemer moderated the session on "Free Tade and Environmental Partnership" on 3 June 2005.